Category: krdo-local-news

Scott Harrison

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) — On Monday morning, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) gathered with representatives of the U.S.Department of Transportation (USDOT) and some local elected leaders to demonstrate a new automated attenuator.

The event was scheduled for 9 a.m. on the north end of Fountain near the intersection of Highway 85/87 and Duckwood Road.

An attenuator is a device attached to the back of a truck that follows work crews to protect them from traffic.

In the past, someone would normally drive the attenuator truck, also known as an impact protection vehicle.

Colorado is the first state in the nation to test automated trucks, ensuring that the people who drive non-automated trucks are protected in the event of a crash.

“Last year, here in the state of Colorado, there were 23 crashes in work zones,” said Shaz Umer, a representative from the USDOT. “They resulted in 31 fatalities. “With this vehicle, this can stop that from happening. It can save lives.”

Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are partnering with Colorado to learn about the technology.

CDOT will test the attenuator during road re-striping operations for future use in southern Colorado.

The automated truck follows a manned leader truck — the truck involved in doing actual work on a highway.

CDOT received $1 million in federal grant funding to acquire one of the state’s three automated attenuators, but the one on display Monday is assigned to the southern Colorado region.

At the Monday morning event, CDOT and federal transportation officials joined Fountain Mayor Sharon Thompson and El Paso County Commissioner Cory Applegate.

“We are super-concerned about roadside safety and our workers on the roads,” Thompson said. “So, it’s a great addition to our team to have this vehicle.”

They talked about how technology like this. increases safety for highway workers.

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Marina Garcia

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – On Saturday, Charmea Campos-Sprague was on her way to have breakfast with her family when a car suddenly brake-checked her in the middle of the street on the east side of Pueblo.

But it didn’t end there, the man got out of the car shirtless and tried to pull Charmea out of her car, but she resisted. The man then goes around to the passenger side and gets in before Charmea takes off.

The video was posted to Facebook in a Colorado Springs-based group.

Charmea says she had no choice but to eventually flee her vehicle, before he continued to drive the car to Douglas County.

“I was scared, but more than anything, I was mad. I was so mad because he was in my car, swerving my wheel…trying to wreck into other people, and I was honking, making sure that everyone was getting out of my way,” says Charmea Campos-Sprague.

Charmea says she’s extremely disappointed because she got the car less than a week before the incident, and now, her damaged car is sitting in a lot in Castle Rock, which she says she can’t afford to get out.

However, she is thankful the man did not harm her.

“I was so anxious. I was scared, and it was just terrible. It was a terrible situation…It could have happened to anybody, you know. So I’m just thankful that it didn’t go any further than what I did. 

Charmea has started a GoFundMe to support anyone else he hit while in her car, which you can find here.

Pueblo County has identified the attacker as Daniel Kenneth Aasen and confirmed that he is currently being held in Douglas County Detention Facility.

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – It’s more than a walk for many at Memorial Park on Saturday.

“What Alzheimer’s does is it changes your life,” Richard Helstein said at the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Helstein lost his wife, Sue, to Alzheimer’s.

Helstein said that despite his wife’s diagnosis, she never let the disease define her by taking up hobbies like dancing until she couldn’t anymore. While Sue is gone, Helstein says he’s thankful for his family and the community that comes together during events like the Alzheimer’s walk on Saturday.

“There’s a feeling that Sue is looking down, is seeing all of these things, and is smiling at the love from this particular family,” Helstein said.

A significant community came together this weekend, with the Alzheimer’s Association reporting that they raised $200,000 at the walk, which is 60% of their $330,000 goal. To learn more or make a donation, visit their website.

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Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Lake Pueblo State Park is brimming with wildlife. Deer, coyotes, owls, and even a salamander or two, but what about an emu?

On Sunday, Lake Pueblo State Park put out a message on social media inquiring, “If you have lost your emu, please contact the park.”

According to the Smithsonian, emus are not native to Pueblo–only Australia. One of the largest birds in the world, emus weigh more than 100lbs and stand taller than five feet.

The state park said the bird was spotted in this picture along Highway 96 at mile marker 46 on Sunday at 12:30 pm.

Now the big bird has been captured by local authorities and is being held by animal control.

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Marina Garcia

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) – Friends and family are stepping up to help three children left behind after police found two dead inside a Fountain home.

On Thursday, the Fountain Police Department responded to a 911 call after dispatchers heard a disturbance and left the phone line open.

Upon arrival, officers found two dead in a home on the north side of town. The FPD has not released any further details, but family and friends have identified Amanda Larribas, who they say was a wonderful friend and even better mother.

KRDO13 spoke to Amanda’s best friend, who has started a GoFundMe to ensure a safety net for Amanda’s children.

“The GoFundMe that we set up is going to go towards them, towards all the kids, towards their future. And just to secure everything for them,” says Kristina Ford, best friend of Amanda.

Kristina Ford was once Amanda Larribas’ neighbor on Bonita Drive. They were two stay-at-home moms who quickly connected over their shared love for their children. Which is why once Kristina heard the news, she rushed to Amanda’s house to make sure her three kids were safe.  

“I left work, and I went straight there. And I got the kids…and I didn’t want to…let them out of my sight,” says Kristina.

Loved ones have since been bringing children toys and supplies to Kristina’s home and have set up a vigil at the front door where Amanda lost her life.

Kristina says the kids’ grandmother is working towards getting custody of the three children, and it’s a battle she hopes is won.

Fountain police are still investigating, but if you would like to donate to the GoFundMe, you can do so here.

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Marina Garcia

Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) has confirmed the end of the Wild Horse Inmate Program, which provided rehabilitative skills to inmates for 30 years.

According to CDOC, the program was a partnership with the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which provided the notice to CDOC that the program would conclude at the end of November.

CDOC says the program provided unique rehabilitative skills to the incarcerated population while supporting the BLM’s mission to manage and protect wild horses and burros.

“We are saddened by the discontinuation of this successful partnership and impactful program,” said Andre Stancil, Executive Director of CDOC. “The Colorado Department of Corrections is immensely proud of the legacy of this program and the positive impact it has had on participants, staff, and the community. While we regret the end of this chapter, we remain committed to working with BLM to ensure a smooth transition and to creating new opportunities that advance our mission of rehabilitation and public safety.”

CDOC says that it will remain committed to creating new opportunities that advance recovery and public safety.

CDOC confirms that BLM will oversee the relocation of the 100 horses in the program.

A specialist who spoke to KRDO13 says she’s seen how interacting with animals can change a person’s life.

Faithful Hearts is an equine learning center in Woodland Park, which doesn’t partner with the Wild Horse Inmate Program, but was sad to hear the news.

The organization uses horses to help people who are dealing with mental health struggles, a method they swear by. One big reason is the unique setting where the therapeutic benefits come in a barn rather than an office.

The director of Faithful Hearts says she’s witnessed it where clients struggling with substance abuse can come away with an entirely new perspective.

“Just to watch those, some of those, you know, grown men break down into tears when they realize, you know, the horse can sense everything and the horse can see right through him. And they just need to be honest and real with themselves. And it gets to the root of the reasons for the addiction, not just kind of masking,” says Stephanie Smith.

Smith says the horses are patient and submissive, but if people want their horse to cooperate, they’ve got to work for it.

“If they want that kind of response, they’ve got to learn to control their emotions and their energy in their presence. And so that’s where the real healing starts to take place. And self-awareness.”

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Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – One person is in the hospital and another on the run as police search for suspects in a shooting along Potter Place, in the neighborhood just east of the Citadel Mall.

The Colorado Springs Police Department says they were called about the shooting at 5:38 on Friday evening. Once at the scene, officers found one man with non-life-threatening injuries from a gunshot wound.

The police say that the man is receiving treatment at a local hospital.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. The Colorado Springs Police Department is asking anyone with information to contact them.

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Celeste Springer

CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office says a man wanted out of Thornton has been arrested after leading deputies in a chase. Deputies allege he kidnapped his child, whom he didn’t have custody of.

According to the sheriff’s office, 46-year-old Phillip Lee Torres was out on bond, facing charges for “serious child sex assault and kidnapping charges that he was about to go to trial on.”

The sheriff’s office says he had allegedly cut his ankle monitor off and ran off with his child without permission from the child’s caregivers or the state on Sept. 25. The sheriff’s office stated that it was believed Torres was fleeing the state, possibly to Mexico.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office says a Be On the Look Out (BOLO) alert was issued for his truck, and an Amber Alert for his child was also sent out.

According to the sheriff’s office, tips began to flood in from residents who received the Amber Alert, and the truck was also spotted using license plate reading cameras.

Police officers in Salida located the truck, but while attempting to pull Torres over, he allegedly fled. The sheriff’s office says that deputies and officers pursued Torres, who was reportedly going more than 100 miles per hour at some points.

Eventually, law enforcement was able to stop the truck using stop sticks, the sheriff’s office says. Video of the incident can be viewed at the top of this article.

The sheriff’s office says his child was taken in without injuries and returned home.

Torres faces the following charges, according to the sheriff’s office:

Vehicular eluding: Created a substantial risk of bodily Injury by operating a vehicle in a reckless manner (Class 5 felony)

Child Abuse: Knowingly or recklessly, where no death or injury results (Class 2 misdemeanor)

Reckless endangerment (Class 2 misdemeanor)

Violation of a criminal protection order (Class 1 misdemeanor)

Reckless driving (Class 2 traffic misdemeanor)

Speeding: 40 or more over the posted speed limit (Class 2 traffic misdemeanor)

Drove motor vehicle when license under restraint (Class A traffic infraction)

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Celeste Springer

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Manitou Springs Police Department says its team is searching for tips related to the disappearance of a local woman.

Police say Margaret Woolsey, age 57, has been missing since August.

“Despite the diligent and ongoing investigative efforts, Ms. Woolsey’s whereabouts remain unknown,” said the police department in a release.

Woolsey is described as a white female, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a thin build, brown hair, and brown eyes. Police say it’s unusual for her to lose contact with friends/family and “concern for her well-being is growing.”

If you have any information, you are urged to call Detective Strider at the Manitou Springs Police Department at (719) 685-2542.

“All tips, no matter how small, are appreciated and will be treated with urgency and discretion,” the police department said.

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KRDO News

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) says that a 37-year-old man has been arrested, accused of home invasion and assault in Fountain.

According to the sheriff’s office, Fountain police officers were called out to the 900 block of Grinde Drive on Tuesday morning. A victim had reported that the suspect, Geoffrey Chinnow, allegedly forced his way into their apartment, held them at gunpoint, and fired two rounds into the floor.

The Fountain Police Department told KRDO13 that they believe that Chinnow was searching for his girlfriend, and believed the apartment belonged to friends of his girlfriend.

Chinnow reportedly left the victim’s apartment, and police began to surveil his home to try and catch him. When police saw him at his house, EPSO says their SWAT team was called in to help execute warrants.

EPSO says Chinnow was taken into custody without incident.

“Coordinated operations and shared resources strengthen public safety and ensure violent offenders are brought to justice. Our community will not be terrorized by violent offenders who illegally bring guns into our neighborhoods,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal in a release.

The sheriff’s office says he faces the following charges:

Second-degree assault

Illegal discharge of a firearm

Menacing

Possession of a weapon by a previous offender

Criminal mischief

First-degree burglary

EPSO says he is being held on a $25,000 bond.

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